Tobacco stripping and booking machine



Aug. 16, 1960 B. H. LONG 2,949,118

TOBACCO STRIPPING AND BOOKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 13, 1957 10 Sheets-Sheet 1 86 Fiji.

61 O O O 65 s 6 M 5 l6 21a 21 BENJAMm ff E NG M ATTORNEY Aug. 16, 1960 B. H. LONG TOBACCO STRIPPING AND BOOKING MACHINE 10 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 13, 1957 INVENTOR.

BENJAMIN H. LONG ATTORNE! B. H. LONG TOBACCO STRIPPING AND BOOKING MACHINE Aug. 16, 1960 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 15, 1957 INVENiOR. BENJAMiN H. LONG BY ATTORNEY Aug. 16, 1960 B. H. LONG 2,949,118

TOBACCO STRIPPING AND BOOKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 13, 1957 l0 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. BENJAMIN H. LONG ATTORNEY Aug. 16, 1960 B. H. LONG TOBACCO STRIPPING AND BOOKING MACHINE Filed Bed. 13, 1957 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 z 1 z i Nu 0m NQ t INVENTOR. BENdAMlN H. LONG ATTQRNEY Aug. 16, 1960 B. H. LONG TOBACCO STRIPPING AND BOOKING MACHINE 10 Sheets-Sheet 6' Filed Dec. 13, 1957 INVENTOR. BENJAMIMH. LONG ATTORNEY Aug. 16, 1960 TOBACCO STRIPPING AND BOOKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 13, .1957 1o she ts-sheet 'r INVENQTIOR. u n BENJAMIN H. LONG B. H. LONG 2,949,118

Aug. 16, 1960 B. H. LONG 2,949,118

TOBACCO STRIPPING AND BOOKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 13, 1957 10 Sh t -Sheet 8 0 .0 0 U u uu ui j. .lE- 423G U U U BENdAMIN l f E NG'.

' 7 ATTORNEY Aug. 16, 1960 B. H-. LONG 2,949,118

TOBACCO STRIPPING AND BOOKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 15, 1957 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 1 13.17. he 51 ez 52 INVENIT-OR. I BENJAMlN H. LONG ATTORNEY Aug. 16, 1960 B. H.-LONG- TOBACCO STRIPPING AND BOOKING MACHINE Filed Dec. 13, 1957 10 Sheets-Sheet 10 VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/[a e n H A v INVENTOR. BENJAMIN H. LONG BY 4% United States Patent TOBACCO STRIPPING .AND BOOKING MACHINE Benjamin H. Long, Roselle, NJ., assignor to Tobacco Machine Supply Company, Inc., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 13, 19 57, Ser. No. 702,609

4 Claims. (Cl. 131-125) The present invention contemplates the provision of novel and improved mechanism for stacking or booking flexible pliable sheets or strips, and more particularly the invention is directed to a novel and improved tobacco stripping and booking machine of the type wherein the stems of tobacco leaves are stripped or removed from the leaves after which the stripped leaves are stacked in superposed relation to each other for subsequent use, for example, as cigar wrappers.

The best known type of booking machine includes a drum comprising two coaxial sections between which are circular cutting plates which cooperate with other rotary blades for stripping the stem from the leaf, the leaf halves being held in position on their corresponding drum sections by endless belts which are yieldable to permit the successive stripped leaves to be stacked or booked between the drum sections and the belts. This type of machine leaves much to be desired in that the pressure of the belts on the stacked leaves frequently causes the leaves to stick together so that they can not be easily separated for subsequent use, and troubleyand loss of time is encountered in the removal of the books from the booking drum which requires both stopping of the machine and manipulation of parts of the machine to permit the books to be withdrawn. Furthermore, the leaves are applied to the stacks or books from the top thereof and-there is a tendency toward relative movement between the belts,

books and drum, particularly when the books become thick and tend to wobble on the drum beneath the belts, and consequently only relatively few leaves are included in a book.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel and of this character which shall include novel and improved booking mechanism wherein the stripped leaves are deposited from the stripping mechanism onto horizontally linearly movable belts and are disposed in stacked or booked relation from the bottoms of the stacks or books instead of from the top thereof as has been the common practice, and only a slight pressure on the top of a book is required to hold the leaves flat and stationary, so that there is a minimum tendency of the leaves to stick together.

A further object is to provide a novel and improved mechanism for booking tobacco leaves wherein the leaves are deposited from the stripping machine onto a linearly movable conveyor belt, and at a predetermined point in their path of movement are lifted from the belts in succession, the first leaf being pressed against a downwardly ice.

biased presser plate and each successive leaf being moved upwardly and pressed against the underside of the next preceding leaf to form a stack or book which is supported above and out of contact with the belts during movement of the leaves from the stripping mechanism to said predetermined point which constitutes the booking station.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such a tobacco booking mechanism which shall comprise a plurality of narrow closely spaced belts, leaf elevating plates vertically movable between the belts to lift the leaves from the belts, book supporting racks including horizontal spaced pins upon which rest the books, and means for actuating the belts, leaf elevating plates and book supporting racks in proper timed relation to each other;

In order to accommodate leaves of different lengths,

the invention provides novel and improved means for controlling the speed of movement of the leaf conveyor belts so that the distance of travel of the leaves from the stripping mechanism may be varied in accordance with the length of the leaves, and thereby time may be saved in booking the short leaves.

Other objects, advantages and results of the invention will be brought out by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is an elevation of one end of the machine with portions broken away for clearness in illustration;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the other end of the machine;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the machine from the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the side of the machine opposite that, shown in Figure 3;

' Figure 5 is a top plan view of the machine with portions-broken away; t

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 6-6 of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the end of the machine shown in Figure 1 with portions broken away and shown in section;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary composite sectional elevational view of the speed control mechanism for the booking belts; I t t V Figure 9 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view on the planeof the line 9-9 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a schematic side elevation of the stripping mechanism and the booking mechanism with portions omitted for clearness in'illustration;

Figure 11 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the booking mechanism showing the first step in the booking operation; 7

Figure 12 is a similar view showing the next step;

Figure 13 is a similar view showing the last step in the booking operation; a

Figure 14 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the plane of the line 1414 of Figure 10; 1;

Figure 15 is a transverse sectional view on the plane of the line 15-15 of Figure 11;

Figure 16 is a similar view showing the book supporting racks withdrawn preliminary to the application of a new leaf to the bottom of the stack or book;

Figure 17 is -a transverse sectional view on the plane of the line 1717 of Figure 12; t

'Figure 18 is a similar view showing the book supporting racks returned to their normal book-supporting positions ready to receive the newly formed books;

Figure 19 is a similar view showing the books resting on the book supporting racks and the elevating plates withdrawn or lowered to their normal positions; and

Figure 20 is a schematic view and wiring diagram of the electrical control mechanism.

Specifically describing the invention, the stripping mechanism and the booking mechanism are generally designated A and B, respectively, and are mounted on a common frame C which includes vertical posts 3 spaced apart longitudinally of the machine at each side thereof on which are supported horizontal side pieces 4.

The stripping mechanism is shown as including an elongated pulley D (Figures 1 and 7) which is shown as comprising two coaxial sections 5 that are secured on a shaft 6 to rotate therewith as by means of set screws 7. The shaft 6 is journaled in the side pieces 4 of the frame. The two sections are of the same length and be: tween their juxtaposed ends are disposed two circular cutting blades 7 that are removably mounted on flanges 8 that project coaxially from corresponding sleeves 9 that are slidably mounted on the shaft 6 in respective recesses 10 in the end portions of the pulley sections as best shown in Figure 7. Compression springs 11 are interposed between webs 12 in the pulley sections and the respective flanges 8 for normally influencing the cutting blades 7 toward each other and into contact with opposite sides of a circular cutter disk 12 that is mounted on a shaft 13 which is journaled in the side pieces 4 of the frame. As shown in Figure 7, each flange 8 is freely slidable in an annular rabbet 14 in the corresponding end of the respective pulley section.

The pulley and cutter blades 7 are rotated by a suitable drive mechanism including a gear 15 fixedly connected on the shaft 6 and meshing with a pinion 16 that is fixed on a stud-shaft 16a on which shaft is also mounted a pinion 160 which meshes with a gear 16b on the shaft 17 jo'urnaled in the side pieces 4 of the frame and having connected thereto a sprocket 18 which is driven by a chain 19 from a sprocket 20 on a clutch and brake shaft 21 which is formed of a plurality of coaxial separate sections. One section 21a (Fig. 1) has connected thereto an electromagnetic brake 22 and has one end extending into an electro-magnetic clutch 23 which is in turn connected in the usual manner to another section 21!; of the clutch and brake shaft that has a belt and pulley connection 24 with a countershaft 25 that is also journaled in two of the posts 3 and has a belt and pulley connection 26 with the output shaft 27 (Fig. 3) of a speed reducing gear 28 that is connected in the usual way to the drive shaft of an electric motor 29 which is shown as mounted on a horizontal cross piece 30 that connects two of the posts 3 at opposite sides of the frame (Figure 1). The drive section 2112 is in turn connected to another electric clutch 31 that is connected in known manner to one end of the third section 21c of the clutch and drive shaft; and said section 210 has connected thereto in known manner an electric brake 32. The shaft sections are journaled in suitable manner in bearings mounted on the two opposite posts 3 and in auxiliary bearings 33 that depend from a cro'ss piece 34 connected to said posts.

With this construction, it will be seen that the pulley D and cutters 7 will be driven by the motor 29 through the countershaft 25, belt and pulley connection 24, shaft section 21b, clutch and brake 23 and 22, respectively, shaft 211:, chain and sprocket connections 20, 19, 18, 17, pinions 16 and 16c and gear 15.

The cutter disk 12 is driven simultaneously with the cutter blades 7 by a belt and pulley connection 35 between the stud shaft 16:: and the shaft 13 journaled in the side pieces 4.

The stripping mechanism operates in generally known manner, the tobacco leaves being slid along a feed plate P mounted at the front end of the machine, with the leaf stem in alignment with the space between the cutter blades, and the leaf is cut longitudinally at opposite sides of the stem by the shearing coaction of the cutter blades and the cutter disk 12. The stem is removed from between the cutter blades 7 by a stem ejector 36 mounted on the shaft 17.

The leaves are guided and held in proper relation to the cutter blades by two endless belt sections 37 one of which is disposed at each side of the cutter blades, with a portion of each belt running over the surface of the pulley in advance of the point of contact of the cutter blades with the cutter disk 12. As shown, this is effected by mounting the belts 37 on rollers 38, 39 and 40. The roller 38 is journaled in bracket arms 41 (Figs. 5 and 7) which are pivotally connected to the shaft 13 so that the roller may be swung upwardly away from the cutter blades. The other rollers 39 and 40 are journaled in the side pieces 4 and the roller 40 is horizontally spaced from the point of contact of the cutter blades with the cutter disk at the side thereof opposite the roller 38 (Fig. 3). Belt tightener rollers 42 are mounted on the frame side pieces in known manner. The belts 37 are driven by a chain and sprocket connection 37a between the shaft 16a and the shaft of the roller 39 (Figs. 1 and 4).

The two halves of the stripped leaves as they leave the stripping mechanism are carried directly to the booking mechanism B on and by a plurality of endless booking belts that are mounted on and run around the pulley D and another pulley E that is mounted on a shaft 43 journaled in the frame C at the end thereof opposite the drum D. The booking belts are shown as including a plurality of closely spaced V-velts 44 and more closely spaced and narrower belts 45 that run in respective grooves 46 and 47 of the drums. The narrow and closely spaced belts 45 are disposed adjacent to and at opposite sides of the cutter blades 7 so as to provide adequate supports for the narrow ends of the leaf halves, the wider and more distantly spaced belts 44 serve to support the wide or butt end portions of the leaves. The upper reaches of the belts 44 and 45 are horizontally disposed in a common plane with portions thereof in closely spaced relation to portions of the belts 37 between the cutters and the roller 40 so as to firmly guide the leaf halves from the cutters to the booking mechanism (Fig. 3). However, two of the narrow belts 45 that are disposed in alignment with the cutter blades 7 run around auxiliary rollers 48 and belt tightener 49 that are mounted in the frame side pieces in spaced relation to the cutter drum.

The upper reaches of the conveyor belts may be of any suitable length but will preferably be of a length greater than the length of the longest leaves that it is desired to handle in the machine, and in accordance with the invention, the stripped leaves are carried by the booking belts to a predetermined point or booking station, where the movement of the belts is interrupted momentarily and the leaves are lifted by an elevating mechanism B (Fig. 4) from the belts and moved upwardly, the first leaf being pressed into contact with the underside of a yieldingly mounted presser plate 50 that forms a part of a mechanism B for holding the leaves in stacked or booked relation, and the other leaves being moved upwardly in succession each into contact with the underside of the next preceding leaf, and the book or stack of leaves being supported by racks B during the period between the booking of each leaf and the movement of the next succeeding stripped leaf from the stripper mechanism to the booking station.

The elevating mechanism B is shown as comprising a plurality of plates 51 disposed edgewise between the booking belts as best shown in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 10-19 inclusive, the plates being supported by a rectangular frame 52 at each corner of which is rigidly se' cured a rack bar 53 that extends downwardly and meshes with a gear quadrant 54. The two quadrants at each end of the frame 52 are fixedly connected to a common shaft 54' to which is also connected a crank arm 55 that is connected to the crank arm of the other shaft by a link 56 (Figures 3, 4 and 10). One of the shafts 54 also has connected thereto a cam follower arm 57 which carries a roller that runs in a cam groove 58 in r V the face of a cam disk 59 which is mounted on a cam shaft 60 journaled in the frame C and driven by a chain and sprocket connection 61 from the section 210 of the brake and clutch shaft (Figs. 1, 3 and 6).

Each elevator plate has notches 51a in its upper edges to provide clearance for booking pins to be hereinafter described.

The cam groove 58 is so contoured that when the cam is rotating the elevating plates will be moved from'their normal position with their upper edgesbelow the plane of the upper reach of the'booking belts as shown in Figures 6, 10 and 14, upwardly to an intermediate position as shown in Figure 11, then momentarily stopped,

of the largest leaf to be handled; and the plate is mounted in parallel relation to the upper reach of the booking belts by a pair of parallel links 83 one end of each of which is pivotally connected to a post 84 that is rigidly secured to and projects upwardly from the plate 50, while the other ends .of the links are pivotally connected to rods 85 which are mounted in bracket arms 86 rigidly secured to and projecting upwardly from the frame side pieces 4. The face ofthe plate preferably has a layer then again moved upwardly to their upper limit as shown p in Figures 12 and 17 and then downwardly to their normal position.

The book supporting racks B cooperate with the elevating plates in the booking operation. These booking racks are shown as comprising two carriages 62, each of which is mounted on rollers 63in tracks 64 that are spaced apart longitudinally of the elevating plates and booking station in auxiliary frame brackets 65 that are mounted on and project laterally outwardlyfrom two of the frame posts 3 ('Figs. 3 and 6). Each carriage has mounted thereon and projecting therefrom inwardly over the booking belts, a plurality of pins 66 that are spaced apart longitudinally of the booking belts with the pins of the two carriages disposed in a common plane and the pins of each carriage of a length to extend into slightly spaced relation to the pins of the other carriage at about the longitudinal median plane of the booking mechanism as best shown in Figures 6 and 1417 inclusive. Normally the carriages are disposed at the inner ends of their respective tracks with the pins of each carriage in endwise slightly spaced relation to the pins of the other carriage and overlying the booking belts as shown in Figure 6, and the carriages are moved outwardly of their tracks in timed relation to the movement of the elevating plates so as to move the pins out of overlying relation to the booking belts as shown in Figure 16. As shown, each carriage is connected at each side thereof to an endless chain 67 as indiacted at 68, and said chain runs over sprockets 69 mounted on shafts 70 journaled in the frame brackets 65. One of the shafts 70 is connected by a chain and sprocket con- 5 nection 71 to a shaft 72 journaled in the corresponding frame bracket 65, and the shafts 72 are simultaneously driven in opposite directions so as to move the carriages 62 toward and from each other. As shown, a drive chain 73 is provided for each shaft 72 and said chain runs over a sprocket on each of the shafts 72 one of which is keyed to one shaft and is idly rotatable on the other shaft. As shown, with particular reference to Figures 3 and 6, the sprocket keyed to the shaft is designated 74 while the idler sprocket is designated 75. The ends of the two chains 73 are pivotally connected at 76 to an actuating lever 77 which is pivotally connected at 78 to a cross piece 79 of the frame C and has a roller 80 intermediate its ends disposed in a cam groove 81 of a cam 82 which is mounted on the cam shaft 60 to rotate therewith. With this construction, when the lever 77 is swung in one direction by the cam 82, both carriages 62 will be moved inwardly or toward each other to a position with their pins overlying the booking belts as shown in Figures 6 and 14, while when the lever is swung in the opposite direction the carriages will be moved simultaneously outwardly in their tracks to withdraw the pins 66 from overlying relation to the booking belts as shown in Figure 16. I

The presser mechanism B is so constructed that the plate 50 is normally biased downwardly with just suffi- 'cient pressure or force to hold the booked leaves in fiat smooth and lightly contacting relation to each other. As shown, the plate is rectangulanand of a length and width greater than the length and width, respectively,

87 of plastic material thereon to prevent the plate from sticking to the tobacco leaves, and the plate is normally gravitationally influenced downwardly toward a normal position in closely spaced relation to the upper reaches of the booking belt as shown in Figurw 3 and 4. Desirably some means will be provided for releasably holding the plate in an out-of-the-way position above the booking belts as indicated by dot and dash lines in Figure 4, although such means are not necessary.

The invention also contemplates means for controlling the feed or movement of the stripped leaves from the stripping mechanism to the. booking station, especially so that the distance of travel of the stripped leaves on the booking belts from the stripping mechanism may be varied or regulated in accordance with the'lengths of the leaves. Such means is shown in Figures 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10 as comprising a frusto-conical pulley 90 that is journaled in bearings 91 in a casing 92 which is mountchain tightener being provided for the chain 95. A

switch operating mechanism is driven by the pulley 90 through a friction wheel 97 which is mounted on a shaft 98 that is journaled in bearing brackets 99 and 100 secured in the casing 92. The friction wheel is keyed on the shaft 98 for movement longitudinally of the shaft, and an adjusting arm 101 has a bifurcated end 102 disposed in a circumferential groove in the hub of the pulley and has a screw threaded mounting on an adjusting screw 103 which is rotatably but non-longitudinally movable in the bearing brackets '99 and 100. A thumb piece 104 is mounted on the screw and projects outwardly from the casing for rotating the screw to move the friction wheel 97 longitudinally of the peripheral surface of the frusto-conical pulley 90 so that the speed of rotation of the shaft 98 can be varied or regulated. The other end of the arm 101 is provided with a chisel shaped extremity 101a which'is visible through a slot 92a in the casing 92 and movable over a scale 92b to indicate the extent of adjustment. At one end of the shaft 98 is fixedly connected an arm .105 for actuating a switch 106 which is connected in the electrical circuit, shown in Figure 20, of the machine in such a manner as to ensure the movement of the booking belts a predetermined distance during each revolution of the arm 105.

The details of the electrical circuit and the electrical apparatus are relatively unimpontant and are illustrated primarily for the purpose of making clear the operation of the machine.

and stopping of the stripping mechanism and booking mechanism is controlled, as usual, by a foot pedal 107 which is pivotally mounted at the bottom of the front end of the machine frame and is connected by a link 108 and lever 109 to a latch bar 110 which controls pivoted fingers 111 and 112 which in turn control the micro-switches 113 and 114, respectively. The switch 113 controls the supply of alternating current from the line to a solenoid v115, while the switch 114 controls the supply of direct current to the electric clutches and electric brakes 22, 23, 3 1 and 32. Preferably most of the control apparatus such as the latch bar 1 10, the

switches 1 13, 1 14 of the solenoid 1-15 are enclosed in a,

The motor will ordinarily be running during the operation of the machine, but the starting box M mounted on the front end of the machine frame. A cam 116 mounted on the cam shaft 60 actuates a micro-switch 117 once during each revolution, and said switch controls a solenoid 118 that is connected in the alternating current circuit for resetting the switch 114. Also connected in the alternating current circuit is the solenoid 119 which resets the switch 113.

The electromagnetic clutches and electromagnetic brakes are connected in the direct current circuit with a relay 120 that is actuated by the solenoid 115. Also connected in the direct current circuit is a rheostat 121 that is actuated by another foot pedal 122 through a solenoid 123 for controlling intermittent motion or feeding of the stripping and booking mechanism.

The switch 106 is also connected in the alternating current circuit with the solenoids 115, 118 and 119 for stopping the booking belts after they have moved a leaf a predetermined distance from the stripping mechanism.

In operation of the machine, assuming that the motor is running and the machine is at rest with no leaves therein, the machine is started by depressing the foot pedal 167. A leaf is slid over the table P and between the belts 37 and the cutter pulley D with the stem between the cutter blades 7. The leaf is then fed by the holddown belts 37 and the booking belts 44 and 45. When the foot pedal is pressed downwardly, the switches 113 and 11*.- are closed, the switch 114 thus closing the circuit through the solenoid 123 which is energized raising the latch bar 110 and releasing the finger 112. The switch 113 closes the circuits through the solenoid 115 of the relay 120 so as to cause energization of the solenoid. The relay 129 is thereby actuated to energize the leaf-feed clutch 23 and apply the stacker brake 32 of the booking mechanism. The feed control cam 105 starts to rotate closing the circuit through the solenoid 15 and opening the circuit through the solenoid 119 which is thereby deenergized so as .to reset the switch 113. The feed control cam 105 completes one revolution, thereby actuating the switch 106 to open the circuit through both the solenoids 115 and 119. The solenoid 115 is thereby deenergized and causes opening of the circuit through the leaf feed clutch 23 and the stacker brake 32, closing the circuit through the stacker clutch 31 and the leaf feed brake 22. At this point movement of the booking belts is stopped. Meanwhile, the booking rack pins will have been moved by their respective carriages actuated by the cam 82, lever 77, chains 73, 71 and 67 into their normal position overlying the booking belts as shown in Figures 10 and 14. While the booking belts are at rest, the cam 59 through follower lever 57, crank arms 55, quadrants 54 and rack bars 53 will first raise the elevating bars 51 into the position shown in Figures 15 and 16 so as to lift the leaf halves L from the booking belts and press them lightly against the booking pins, whereupon raising of the elevating bars is momentarily interrupted and simultaneously the booking pins are withdrawn as shown in Figure 16, whereupon the upward movement of the elevating bars is continued to press the leaf halves L against either the presser plate or the next preceding leaf halve, as shown in Figures 12 and 17, the notches 51 in the elevating plates providing a clearance for the booking pins. The book- 'ng pins are then returned inwardly to their normal position underlying the elevated half leaves, whereupon the elevating plates are lowered, thereby leaving the leaf halves in booked or stacked condition on the pins 66 of the booking racks 62, as shown in Figures 13 and 19.

The switch cam 116 completes one revolution and actuates the switch 117, thereby closing the circuits momentarily through the solenoid 118 and thus resetting the switch 114 which causes opening of the circuit through the solenoid 123 and thereby lowering the latch bar 110 into position for starting the next cycle of operations.

The foregoing cycle of operations is repeated for each leaf that is stripped and successive cycles are continued until the desired number of leaf halves have been stacked or booked. It will be understood that the presser plate 50 will yield upwardly each time leaf halves are added to the bottoms of the books or stacks, and action of gravity on the presser plate will hold the leaves smooth and flat and in light contact with each other. With this construction a large number of leaves may be provided in each book, there will be a minimum of tendency for thick books to wobble and a minimum of tendency of the leaves to stick together. The books can be easily and quickly removed by simply raising the presser plate and lifting the books off the booking pins, all without stopping the operation of the machine.

It is desirable to provide a rotating brush 125 (Fig. 5) in contact with the belt 37 near the booking belts to prevent the leading ends of the leaf halves from following the belt 37, and such a brush may be mounted on a shaft 126 journaled in the frame side pieces 4 and driven by a belt and pulley connection 127 between said shaft 126 and the shaft 37b of the roller 37.

While the invention has been specifically shown and described as embodied in the tobacco stripping and booking machine, the stacking or booking mechanism may be utilized for stacking flexible and pliable strips other than stripped tobacco leaves, for example textile fabric.

Also, as above indicated, the invention has been shown and described as embodied in certain now preferred structural details but it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the construction of the machine may be widely modified and changed within the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. A tobacco stripping and booking machine including a stripping station and a booking station in horizontally spaced relation to each other, said stripping station having means for stripping tobacco leaves, an intermittently movable conveyor for carrying stripped leaves in succession in a horizontal plane away from said stripping station and for stopping said leaves in succession at said booking station, leaf-elevating mechanism at the booking station including a leaf-engaging element movable upwardly in timed relation to the movement of said conveyor for raising each stopped leaf vertically upwardly and holding it momentarily above the conveyor and then movable downwardly away from the leaf, and a book supporting mechanism and means for moving it horizontally in timed relation to said leaf-elevating element into spaced overlying relation to the conveyor and beneath each elevated leaf while the latter is held by said leaf-engaging element and for supporting said leaf during downward movement of said elevating element and upward movement thereof with the next leaf, said conveyor including two drum pulleys and a plurality of narrow belts running over said pulleys in spaced relation to each other longitudinally of the pulleys with their upper reaches in said horizontal plane to carry the leaves, and said leaf-engaging element comprising a plurality of plates mounted in vertical planes between the upper reaches of said belts and with their upper edges normally located below said plane of said upper reaches of the belts, said stripping mechanism including coacting rotary leaf-cutting elements at least one of which is mounted on one of said drum pulleys intermediate the length thereof.

2. A tobacco stripping and booking machine including a stripping station and a booking station in horizontally spaced relation to each other, said stripping station having means for stripping tobacco leaves, an intermittently movable conveyor for carrying stripped leaves in succession in a horizontal plane away from said stripping station and for stopping said leaves in succession at said booking station, leaf-elevating mechanism at the booking station including a leaf-engaging element movable upwardly in timed relation to the movement of said conveyor for raising each stopped leaf vertically upwardly and holding it momentarily above the conveyor and then movable downwardly away from the leaf, and a book supporting mechanism and means for moving it horizontally in timed relation to said leaf-elevating element into spaced overlying relation to the conveyor and beneath each elevated leaf while the latter is held by said leaf-engaging element and for supporting said leaf during downward movement of said elevating element and upward movement thereof with the next leaf, said conveyor including two drum pulleys and a plurality of narrow belts running over said pulleys in spaced relation to each other longitudinally of the pulleys with their upper reaches in said horizontal plane to carry the leaves, and said leaf-engaging element comprising a plurality of plates mounted in vertical planes between the upper reaches of said belts and with their upper edges normally located below said plane of said upper reaches of the belts, one of said drum pulleys being formed of two coaxial longitudinally movable sections each having a circumferential blade at one end in spaced relation to the blade on the juxtaposed end of the other section, and another cutting element coacting with said blades to strip a leaf stem from a leaf.

3. A tobacco stripping and booking machine including a stripping station and a booking station in horizontally spaced relation to each other, said stripping station having means for stripping tobacco leaves, an intermittently movable conveyor for carrying stripped leaves in succession in a horizontal plane away from said stripping station and for stopping said leaves in succession at said booking station, leaf-elevating mechanism at the booking station including a leaf-engaging element movable upwardly in timed relation to the movement of said conveyor for raising each stopped leaf vertically upwardly and holding it momentarily above the conveyor and then movable downwardly away from the leaf, and a book supporting mechanism and means for moving it horizontally in timed relation to said leaf-elevating element into spaced overlying relation to the conveyor and beneath each elevated leaf while the latter is held by said leaf-engaging element and for supporting said leaf during downward movement of said elevating element and upward movement thereof with the next leaf, means for raising and lowering said leaf-elevating element including motor-operated drive means, a cam actuated by said drive means, a follower for said cam, a plurality of rack bars rigidly depending from said leaf-elevating element, means mounting and guiding said rack bars, a pinion meshing with each rack bar, and means drivingly connecting said pinions to said cam follower and providing simultaneous rotation of the pinions upon movement of said cam follower by the cam.

4. A tobacco stripping and booking machine including a stripping station and a booking station in horizontally spaced relation to each other, said stripping station having means for stripping tobacco leaves, an intermittently movable conveyor for carrying stripped leaves in succession in a horizontal plane away from said stripping station and for stopping said leaves in succession at said booking station, leaf-elevating mechanism at the booking station including a leaf-engaging element movable upwardly in timed relation to the movement of said conveyor for raising each stopped leaf vertically upwardly and holding it momentarily above the conveyor and then movable downwardly away from the leaf, and a book supporting mechanism and means for moving it horizontally in timed relation to said leaf-elevating element into spaced overlying relation to the conveyor and beneath each elevated leaf while the latter is held by said leaf-engaging element and for supporting said leaf during downward movement of said elevating element and upward movement thereof with the next leaf, said book supporting mechanism including two carriages disposed at opposite sides of the conveyor and each having a plurality of horizontal pins spaced longitudinally of said conveyor and projecting endwise inwardly toward the pins of the other carriage above said horizontal plane and means for moving said carriages toward and from each other in timed relation to movement of said leafelevating element to move the corresponding pins into and out of spaced overlying relation to the conveyor, respectively, the last-named means comprising fixedly mounted spaced guide tracks for each carriage, an endless chain and sprocket assembly adjacent each track with the chain connected to one side of the corresponding carriage, a motor-operated drive means, a cam actuated by said drive means and a follower therefor, a chain and sprocket mechanism for each carriage having opposite ends of the chain connected to said follower and-having one sprocket drivingly connected to a sprocket of the corresponding said chain and sprocket assembly so that upon movement of said follower in opposite directions said carriages will be moved toward and from each other respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 840,234 McGregor Ian. 1, 1907 1,387,545 Jackson Aug. 16, 1921 1,519,306 Henderson Dec. 16, 1924 2,199,114 Rosenberg Apr. 30, 1940 2,378,953 Rundell .i June 26, 1945 2,488,674 Malott Nov. 22, 1949 2,488,675 Malott Nov. 22, 1949 

